


sister

by sweetgoodgraciousangel



Series: Month of May Prompts 2019 [7]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Found Family, Hurt/Comfort, fleance... fleance is such a good man, fuck the jane twins mom she sucks ass, im going to fight for him, uhhh very vague implication of child abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-08
Updated: 2019-05-08
Packaged: 2020-02-28 06:13:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18750661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetgoodgraciousangel/pseuds/sweetgoodgraciousangel
Summary: Her and her sister Charlotte had made the trip all the way to Fleance’s house earlier in the day, and what was supposed to be a simple meet-up for the purpose of exchanging potion ingredients (Charlotte tagged along because she wanted to see him) had turned into hours of hot tea and strawberry jam coated biscuits, sitting outside on his porch with endless conversation and new topics always on the horizon.





	sister

Viola found herself lying in bed awake, hours late into the night and unable to sleep. Her and her sister Charlotte had made the trip all the way to Fleance’s house earlier in the day, and what was supposed to be a simple meet-up for the purpose of exchanging potion ingredients (Charlotte tagged along because she wanted to see him) had turned into hours of hot tea and strawberry jam coated biscuits, sitting outside on his porch with endless conversation and new topics always on the horizon. Viola liked Fleance’s company and took to him in the same way Charlotte seemed to; it was very evident after all that he saw the two of them like daughters, and well, at this point she would have to admit that the man was more of a parent to them than their own mother had been. Far more, actually.

 

But she couldn’t sleep now. They decided it was too late to return, and she would only hope they wouldn’t worry Icarus or Zachary by not coming back. They would likely be able to reason it all out on their own since it wasn’t entirely uncommon for the two of them to not come back after making a trip to see Fleance.

 

She sat up on the bed, careful not to disturb her sister who was out cold in the bed right next to hers. She sighed, thinking some fresh air might do her some good and clear her mind. She always slept rather well in his house, so she couldn’t help but wonder why she was struggling so badly tonight.

 

Quietly, she slipped out of the guest bedroom, noticing not as many candles as before illuminating the hallways. Fleance must have put some of them out, but left some lit for when he went to bed. He must still be awake then.

 

If she was honest, there was always one thing she wanted to ask but found herself holding back while her sister was around. If he was still around and in the house…

 

She tiptoed down the steps, setting foot into the living room, already seeing the dimly light fire still burning gently in the fireplace. Fleance glanced upward as she came down, pushing his glasses up his nose as his eyes widened in surprise. He closed a book he must have been reading on his thumb and smiled, though it was clear the confusion on his face was still evident.

 

“Viola! Were you not tired?”

 

She had joined him in the seat across from him by the fireplace before she answered, relaxing as the heat washed over her skin almost comfortingly.

 

“I thought I was, but I can’t just seem to drift away.”

 

Fleance had found his bookmark by then, properly shutting his book and setting it aside on a little table, folding his hands in his lap. His presence comforted her, in a way she could never quite feel when it came to her thinking about her mother. In her presence, Viola felt very much like she was made of stone: unable to feel and move, stuck as a piece art in front of someone who only wanted to display you like you were a trophy and not a person. With Fleance… he was a good man. She’s very thankful Charlotte had him by her side growing up.

 

“You look as if something is bother you. Do you want to talk about it?”

 

His voice was gentle and soothing. She couldn’t deny it. She didn’t want to deny it to him at least. In that case, she found herself staring into the fire, watching as it burned away at the wood keeping it alive.

 

“...Was my mother… always like what she was? How she reacted when I found out about Charlotte?”

 

She had the vaguest idea of who her mother was anymore, and she’s not really sure why she even cares at this point. She could be summed up as horrible and no one would bother attempting to argue against that, simply because it was the truth. But sometimes, those things would linger in her mind. Her curiosity was, as much as she might not like to admit it, born of complete spite. Something that would reassure her she had more than plenty of reasons to despise the woman for the rest of her days.

 

Fleance’s face didn’t quite lose the kindness, but upon mentioning of her mother he did turn a little bitter. None of them had many nice things to say about the cold woman and the many things she had done. He hummed, swishing himself back and forth slowly in his rocking chair. He was visibly contemplating what he might have to say, choosing his words carefully.

 

“Mm. It’s hard to say, if I’m honest. She was distant, not a very friendly person, but I didn’t mind working for her for the longest time. It was… when she gave birth to you and your sister that I began to realize something she was far more twisted than anyone was likely anticipating. When she tried to force me to toss Charlotte aside like she was just simply a piece of trash needing of disposal rather than her own child, it made me more sick than anything I’d ever encountered in my life. It was awful.”

 

It was. Viola hated her for it. Hated that her mother hid her own twin sister from her for 18 years of her life, only for one of their butlers to turn up one day to the home Viola was moving into with Charlotte at his side. It was a hard truth to swallow, but what was done was done. Viola couldn’t be more thankful Charlotte was in her life now, and a million times more grateful that her mother seemingly disappeared completely all together. She didn’t need that kind of garbage in her life anyway.

 

“I took Charlotte in on a whim. I didn’t quite know what I was doing, if I’m honest,” Fleance said, pausing in his rocking, “but I knew I couldn’t simply give her to an orphanage. No, it would have been far from the right thing to do. But I’d also never taken care of a child before. I just knew that one day, at some point, I wanted you two to meet. It was the only way Lady Jane would have ever had a permanent downfall, to be confronted by all of us together once I had enough evidence of her heinous crimes.”

 

She was more than thankful it had worked too. Who knows where she disappeared to. None of them really cared.

 

Viola couldn’t talk about this in front of Charlotte. She knew it upset her, to think about their mother. Hell, it upsets herself, but her thoughts still somehow wander over to her sometimes. She wished she could forget the wretched woman existed all together. Things played out and now all of them lived relatively happier lives, but her heart still hurt to think about everything that had happened.

 

“Viola?” Fleance called out softly, and she looked up, realizing her vision was more watery than before. She touched her cheek, feeling warm drops of tears. She wiped them away hastily, forcing a smile.

 

“Oh, um. Sorry, you know, it’s simply…”

 

“Don’t apologize,” he said, rising from his seat and crossing the distance between them. He kneeled in front of her, caring as he ever was. “Are you okay?”

 

She glanced away, and he sighed. No one had ever really talk about their mother until just now, at least not to the deep extent she had gone on. Her chest hurt, that boiling hatred rising and sitting just there, more tears streaming down her cheeks.

 

Fleance reached out, until his hands were gently holding her shoulders. He tugged forward until she was in front of him, on the ground, face buried in his chest and crying. She wasn’t used to the feeling of crying, but it always definitely felt good to, she’s come to find. She was never allowed to cry in her mother’s presence. She wasn’t allowed to cry in general.

 

Fleance ran his fingers through her hair comfortingly, in such a way she found herself relaxing into his embrace. She didn’t want to pull away, and she certainly didn’t care about how she must have looked at the moment. She had to let go, even just temporarily, of what the world may see of her. She was just tired of hiding how she felt about everything.

 

She hated her mother. That was the truth and she wanted to scream it from the rooftop as loudly as she could. She was just thankful for now Fleance allowed her to substitute that desire for crying her heart out into his shoulder.

 

“I wanted you out of there sooner,” Fleance said, quietly. “I didn’t quite know what to do though. I simply couldn’t rip you out of that house with no proof of what Lady Jane was doing. Everyone would have seen me as a madman. I would have been arrested. No one but me was present for the birth of you and Charlotte.”

 

“No... doctors?” She asked with shaky words.

 

“Oh yes of course, but she paid a great deal for their silence. They would have most certainly regretted it if they said anything. There was no real proof of Charlotte’s existence other than her own living self. Even if things went a lot slower than I would have liked, I’m just glad in the end she got what she deserved.”

 

Fleance embraced her tightly, ruffling her hair ever so gently at the same time.

 

“And I’m so proud of you two! You both are so strong! You made it through and I couldn’t be more thrilled!”

 

Viola pulled back some, wiping at her cheeks again. She managed a small smile.

 

“We wouldn’t have been able to do it without you, if I may be honest.”

 

“...Well,” Fleance said, gently cupping her face in one of his hands, his other now resting on her shoulder. “I fought as hard as I did because in the end, blood related or not, you two are family to me. I truly do love the both of you and want nothing but what’s best for you.”

 

 _I love you._ Those were words she’d never heard before. At least not from someone she looked up to as a parent. It made more tears brim her eyes, and her forehead fell back onto his shoulder. He slid his hand down to rub soothing circles into it. He must have known she was holding this in for as long as she did, right? Fleance was definitely the type to pick up on those kinds of things, no matter how well someone did to hide their emotions.

 

She felt small again. She felt like a child. She didn’t fight it.

 

She also felt stronger, in a strange kind of way.

 

“...Thank you, Fleance.” Viola said quietly, under her breath.

 

He smiled.

 

“I’m always here for you, no matter what.”

**Author's Note:**

> fleance is best dad dont fight me on this


End file.
